Protecting the blue heart of the planet.

Dr. Sylvia A. Earle

Founder and President

National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, called Her Deepness by the New Yorker and the New York Times, Living Legend by the Library of Congress, and first Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine, is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist, government official, and director for corporate and non-profit organizations including the Kerr McGee Corporation, Dresser Industries, Oryx Energy, the Aspen Institute, the Conservation Fund, American Rivers, Mote Marine Laboratory, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Rutgers Institute for Marine Science, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Ocean Futures.

Formerly Chief Scientist of NOAA, Dr. Earle is the Founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc. (DOER), Founder of the Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.) / Mission Blue, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Harte Research Institute, inspiration for the ocean in Google Earth, leader of the NGS Sustainable Seas Expeditions, and the subject of the 2014 Netflix film, Mission Blue. She has a B.S. degree from Florida State University, M.S. and PhD. from Duke University, 27 honorary degrees and has authored more than 200 scientific, technical and popular publications including 13 books (most recently Blue Hope in 2014), lectured in more than 90 countries, and appeared in hundreds of radio and television productions.

She has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater including leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970, participating in ten saturation dives, most recently in July 2012, and setting a record for solo diving in 1,000 meters depth. Her research concerns marine ecosystems with special reference to exploration, conservation and the development and use of new technologies for access and effective operations in the deep sea and other remote environments.

Laura D. Cassiani

Chief Advancement Officer

Sustainable Nonprofit Leader | Ocean Conservation Advocate | Strategic Fundraiser

Email Laura

As Chief Advancement Officer at Mission Blue, Laura Cassiani works closely with Dr. Sylvia Earle and the Board of Directors to drive the organization’s mission, strategy, and programs. Offering an entrepreneurial and donor-centric approach, she builds strong relationships with corporate and foundation partners while overseeing the development of sustainable revenue-generating programs aligned with Mission Blue’s Hope Spot initiative, including global engagement, expeditions, policy, and outreach.

As its first Executive Director and current Chief Advancement Officer, Laura has built Mission Blue from the ground up, securing global endorsements from NGOs, governments, and Fortune 500 brands. Under her leadership, the Hope Spot initiative has expanded its reach, mobilizing grassroots conservation efforts in over 69 countries and influencing international ocean policy. Since joining the organization in 2009 as Chief Operating Officer, she has been instrumental in advancing its mission, serving as Executive Director from 2016 to 2021 before transitioning to her current role.

With early career roots in the technology sector, Laura brings multi-sector expertise in strategy, programs, and partnerships. She has led global marketing initiatives for Apple, Microsoft, and Cisco, managing major product launches, including Steve Jobs-era innovations such as the iMac G3, OSX, and iTunes.

In 2002, she and her family moved to Switzerland, where she worked at the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), leading a capital campaign for IUCN’s new LEED platinum headquarters. Focused on sustainability, biodiversity, and climate change, she helped bring conservation issues to light in the private sector and secured $5M in early-phase funding.

For the past 15 years, Laura has been dedicated to building Mission Blue and supporting Dr. Sylvia Earle’s vision for a healthier, living ocean. She is an IUCN-certified expert in Nature-Based Solutions and has cultivated lasting partnerships with Rolex, Biotherm, MSC Foundation, National Geographic, TED, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, and Google, among others.

Laura lives in Napa Valley with her husband, two children, and their Anatolian Shepherd rescue, Teddy. In addition to her work in ocean conservation, she is an avid gardener specializing in native plants and founder of Garden Girl Napa, a container gardening consultancy. She also enjoys painting, whale watching, and connecting people to nature.

Kate Killerlain Morrison

Managing Director

As Mission Blue’s Managing Director, Kate Killerlain Morrison serves as member of the executive management team who oversees the day-to-day operations of Mission Blue, ensuring that organizational and strategic goals are met. She collaborates with the President, Dr. Sylvia Earle, the Board of Directors, and a passionate team of conservationists to advance Mission Blue’s mission of ocean protection through sound administrative, financial and operational management.

Throughout her career, Kate Killerlain Morrison has served in leadership roles across both government and nonprofit sectors, in the U.S. and internationally, primarily at times of change, overseeing the launch of new programs and functional teams. From local shellfish commissions to the International Maritime Organization to regional fisheries meetings and the United Nations, for the past twenty years, Killerlain Morrison has enthusiastically represented organizations and programs and has worked through a diverse multi-sector network.

As the first External Relations Director of The Ocean Foundation, Ms. Killerlain Morrison aims to leverage the organization’s two-decades-old community foundation approach of pooling funds from individuals, governments, private foundations and corporations to improve global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy. Her team is responsible for strategic communications, marketing and fundraising to increase brand awareness and to raise unrestricted and programmatic donations to support the organization’s work. In this role, Ms. Killerlain Morrison oversees content generation for external digital and print publications, social media channels, website copy and email newsletters, fields corporate partnership inquiries, assists with Board of Directors relations, serves as a spokesperson for the organization and coordinates cross-functionally with Program (technical subject matter expert), Finance and Operations teams and the Foundation President.

She previously served as Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, a five-state regional ocean partnership, and was part of a two-person staff secretariat for the Sargasso Sea Commission, one of the first regional efforts to coordinate governments to promote international recognition of the global significance of the Sargasso Sea. Ms. Killerlain Morrison developed the inaugural marine conservation program at the Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she secured the first state permit granted for shellfish restoration, providing the foundation for a much larger program that operates today.

Early in her career, Ms. Killerlain Morrison staffed the first-in-the-nation ocean management plan and early implementation of Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force recommendations, developed in response to the first offshore wind facility proposal in the U.S., and supported the launch of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, one of the first regional ocean partnerships in the nation.